The Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings were the professional baseball club shared by Bisbee and Douglas, Arizona from 1949 to 1955, two copper towns on the Mexican border that split their home games. The team moved to Douglas alone in 1956 and played there through 1958, the final season of the Class C Arizona-Mexico League.
The Copper Kings grew out of the Bisbee Yanks of 1947 and the Bisbee-Douglas Miners of 1948, and took a name that had belonged to a Bisbee mining company team at the turn of the century. The club was a Brooklyn Dodgers affiliate in 1950 and 1951 and a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate from 1956 to 1958. First baseman Gene Clough hit 37 home runs in 1949 and George Arent hit 32 in 1956, but the shared club never finished above .500 in its seven seasons.
Douglas changed that. The 1956 club finished second, and in 1958 the Copper Kings won the championship at 68-52 under pitcher-manager Bob Clear. On August 19, 1958, in a game played at Ciudad Delicias against Chihuahua, all nine Douglas starters hit a home run in a 22-8 win, Clear included, a feat no other professional team is known to have matched. The game was called after eight innings for darkness in front of 614 people.
The league folded by telegram the following March, and professional baseball never returned to either town. Bisbee's Warren Ballpark, where the Copper Kings played their Bisbee dates, opened in 1909 and still stands.
Arizona's first league in organized baseball opened in 1928 as a Class D circuit with four clubs, in Bisbee, Miami, Phoenix and Tucson. It became the Arizona-Texas League in 1931 and the Arizona-Mexico League in 1955, and ran, with gaps, through 1958, eventually reaching into Texas, New Mexico, Nevada and northern Mexico.
Retro Baseball Revival celebrates historic baseball teams with unique apparel, honoring their legacy and bringing history to one-of-a-kind clothing with our old school retro baseball tees from defunct Minor League Baseball teams. All of our high quality apparel is designed, printed, and shipped within the USA. This collection features 100% original designs based on the history and nicknames of historic minor league teams.
Our premium lightweight shirts are the hugely popular Bella+Canvas brand 3001 tees. They are much lighter and thinner feeling than a traditional heavyweight tee. They also are more form fitting and feel more snug. These are generally 90% to 100% cotton, although please note that heather colors in this item are 52% cotton.
Size Guide: Fit is true to size or a little snug. Considering ordering one size up if you are normally between sizes.
Brand: Bella Canvas | Product ID: 3001
- Made with 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, a lightweight fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)) that is easy to layer, breathable. Perfect for active and leisure wear.
- The retail fit that is perfect for casual and semi-formal settings. The crew neckline adds a classic, neat style that's perfect for accessorizing.
- Bella+Canvas manufactures all its products in the US and internationally in humane, no-sweat-shop, sustainable way and is part of the Fair Labor Association as well as Platinum WRAP certified.
- The tear-away label minimizes skin irritations.
- Fabric blends: Ash and Heather Prism colors - 99% cotton, 1% polyester; Heather and Solid Blend colors - 52% cotton, 48% polyester; Athletic Heather and Black Heather - 90% cotton, 10% polyester.
